Saw-handle



(No Model.)

G. G. KERR. SAW HANDLE.

No. 458,292. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

MM 7 61 80276 Kerr tact therewith for obvious reasons.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE- I GEORGE G. KERR, OF PORTLAND MILLS,PENNSYLVANIA.

SAW-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,292, dated August25, 1891.

Application filed March 21, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. KERR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland Mills, in the county of Elk and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Saw-Handle, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to wood-working tools, and more especially tosaw-handles; and the object of the same is to effect certainimprovements in devices of this character.

To this end the invention consists of the specific details ofconstruction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and asillustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure l isaside elevation of my improved saw-handle as applied to the end of anordinary log-saw. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the handlewith the saw removed, showing the operating-lever in elevation. Fig. 3is an end view of the handle seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionthrough the center of the pivot of the lever, the saw-blade beingremoved and the plunger being turned so as to disengage the teeth of thelever. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the plunger, the spring, andthe cap removed.

-Referring to the said drawings, the letter H designates a handle,preferably of wood and of tubular shape, and M is a metallic sheathsurrounding this handle, at its lower end in the present case, althoughit will be understood that, if desired, the sheath may extend throughoutthe length of the handle. However, I prefer that the handle shall be ofwood where the operators hand comes in conlVithin the handle is verytightly fitted an inner tube I, which extends slightly above the upperend of the handle, as best seen in Fig. 2, and O is a cap having acircular groove in its lower face fitting upon the upper end iof saidinner tube I and also resting upon the upper end of the handle H. Thesheath, handle, and inner tube are transverselyslotted for some distancefrom their lower ends upwardly, and adjacent this slot the sheath isprovided with a projecting lip or flange F, to which is pivoted a leverL, having a toothed face T, struck on a circle around the pivot, thisface extending through the slots in the sheath, handle,

Serial No. 385,848. (No model.)

and tube and slightly into the central bore of the latter.

The letter P designates a plunger, which is preferably of metal andcylindrical in shape and of a size to fit closely, but loosely, withinsaid inner tube, and this plunger has a long slot Q in its body, which,however, is closed atits lower end bya web WV somewhat smaller in widththan the diameter of the plunger, as

the sheath, handle, and inner tube, and when so engaged the slot Q is inalignment with that through these three members and the teeth T and Rare in engagement. Connected to the upper end of the plunger is a strongcoiled spring S, which fits within the inner tube I and whose upper endis in turn connected with an ear E on the under side of said cap 0.

With the above construction of parts the inner tube is prevented by itsclose fit from moving within the handle, and the sheath fits tightlyupon the exterior of the handle and extends beneath the end of the same,as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby it is also prevented fromdisplacement. The plunger is let down into the tube from the upper endthereof until the cap 0 rests upon said upper end in the manner abovedescribed. A suitable tool is then inserted into the hole in the lowerend of the sheath and engaged with the web W, after which it is twistedslightly, so that the plunger shall pass over and not engage the teethT, and when the plunger has been drawn against the tension of the springS to such point that the lower end of the slot Q is distant from theupper end of the slot in the sheath slightly less than the width of thesaw-blade the plunger is turned to the right, so that the teeth R willengage the teeth T of the lever L and the two slots will be inalignment. The lever is then pressed toward the handle, whereby theplunger is still further drawn downwardly and the slot made long enoughto admit the saw-blade. The latter is put through the slot alongside thelever L and pressure on the latter is removed, and the spring S drawsthe web WV very tightly against the edge of the saw-blade and holds thelatter in place. The screw X is then inserted with its tip engaging thegroove G, so that, even when the blade is temporarily removed, theplunger cannot turn to disengage the teeth T and R. It can be so turned,however, by removing the screw X; but this becomes desirable only whensaw-blades of greater or less width are to be secured in the handle.This is effected by engaging a suitable tool with the plunger, turningit so that its slot Q will pass loosely over the teeth T, adj ustingitlongitudinally to the proper width of the saw-blade, and then re-turningit to re-engage the teeth T and R.

The device is susceptible of considerable modification without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, all of which I claim the right to make.What is claimed as new is 1. In a saw-handle, the combination, with atubular handle and a metallic sheath at the lower end thereof, saidhandle and sheath having a transverse slot opening from their lower endsupwardly, of a cap at the upper end of said handle, a contractile springconnected thereto, a plunger within the handle connected at its upperend to said spring and having a long slot in its body with a web acrossits lower end, and the saw-blade removably inserted through saidregistering slots, substantially as described.

2. In a saw-handle, the combination, with a tubular handle, a metallicsheath at the lower end thereof, said handle and sheath having atransverse slot opening from their lower ends upwardly, a flange on saidsheath adjacent one side of the slot, alever pivoted to said flange andhaving a curved head projecting into the bore of the handle, and teethon said head, of a contractile spring within and connected to the upperend of the handle, a plunger also within the handle connected at itsupper end to said spring and having a long slot in its body with anarrow web across its lower end, teeth along one side of said slotadapted to engage those on the head of the lever, and the saw-bladeremovably inserted through the registering slots, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a saw-handle, the combination, with a tubular handle, a metallicsheath at the lower end thereof, said handle and sheath having atransverse slot opening from their lower ends upwardly, a flange on saidsheath adjacent one side of the slot, a lever pivoted to said flange andhaving a curved head projecting into the bore of the handle, and teethon said head, of a cap at the upper end of the handle, a contractilespring connected thereto, a plunger within the handle connected at itsupper end to said spring, having a long slot in its body with a narrowweb across its lower end, and also having a longitudinal groove in oneside, teeth along one side of said slot adapted to engage those on thehead of the lever, the saw-blade removably inserted through theregistering slots, and a screw through the sheath and handle, its tipengaging said groove when the blade is in place, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a saw-handle, the combination, with a tubular handle, a metallicsheath at the lower end thereof, said handle and sheath having atransverse slot opening from their lower ends upwardly, a flange on saidsheath adjacent one side of the slot, and alever pivoted to said flangeand having one end projecting into the bore of the handle, of a plungerwithin the handle having a long slot in its body and teeth along oneside of the slot adapted to be engaged by the inner end of the leverwhen the plunger is turned axially, the saw-blade removably inserted insaid registering slots, a narrow web across the lower end of the slot inthe plunger, and a spring drawing the latter upwardly into the handle,as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a saw-handle, the combination, with a tubular handle, a metallicsheath at the lower end thereof, said handle and sheath having atransverse slot, a flange on said sheath adjacent the slot, a leverpivoted thereto and having a curved head, and teeth on said head, of aplunger within said handle, said plunger having a long slot in its bodywith a web across its lower end, the sawblade reniovably inserted insaid slot, and teeth on the plunger engaging those on the head, as andfor the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE G. KERR.

Witnesses:

J. W. HEALY, L. REINsBURRow.

